


Cave In

by fluffae



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Adult Peter, Aged-Up Character(s), Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, College Student Peter, Conflict, Developing Relationship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Gentle Sex, Happy Ending, Internal Conflict, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Marvel - Freeform, Multi, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Possessive Venom, Relationship(s), Sexual Content, Smut, Unrequited Love, Virginity, mcu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-12-07 10:49:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11621997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffae/pseuds/fluffae
Summary: Venom has been pursuing Spider-Man more than usual as of late, and even more viciously and relentlessly, if that's even possible. Little does Peter know that the reasoning behind this violence is probably the last thing he'd expect.





	1. Conflicts

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I should note that this is, like...my first fanfiction, EVER. So it's probably shitty. Just warning you. Tips and suggestions in the comments would be extremely appreciated!

Never before had Peter considered the possibility that Venom, one of his worst enemies, may have been holding back when attacking him during their previous encounters. But now he was certain that that had been the case. Why the sudden change of mind? For the past month, where Venom had only appeared once and a while, he was showing up several times a week. Each battle between them was heated and Venom's attacks relentless. From what Peter could tell, he seemed angrier and angrier every time. He had the usually energetic Spider-Man exhausted from his constant pursuits.

The famed hero contemplated this strange change in behavior as he headed home from school. He had decided to simply walk home today instead of web-swinging due to the aching in his arms. His backpack weighed heavily on his slumped shoulders. Whatever the reasoning behind Venom's aggression was he had to put an end to it soon; otherwise he'd end up collapsing from fatigue mid-web-swing one of these days.

Peter heaved a sigh, unlocking the door to his apartment and stepping in.

"I'm home, Aunt May!"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

The unmistakable smell of wheat cakes reached the college student; Peter's favorite. Aunt May never failed to cheer him up, bless the woman. He smiled to himself and padded into the room, finding her wiping the flour-dusted counter off.

"Welcome home, sweetie. I--"  Her voice cut off when she looked up. The elderly woman's eyebrows furrowed as she straightened. "Peter, you don't look so good. Are you all right? Did something happen at school?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I just... Schoolwork's been tough, is all. Nothing that new." Peter shuffled up to the counter and gave his beloved guardian a swift side-hug. "When'll the cake be ready?"

Aunt May clearly wasn't convinced by his claim and had noticed his haste to change the subject, judging by the look she gave him. She knew Peter all too well. Despite her apparent suspicions she dropped the topic, much to Peter's gratitude.

"'Bout fifteen minutes. I'll call you when they're ready."

"Thanks!"

He trooped down the hall and into his room, slinging his backpack onto his desk chair and collapsing onto his bed facedown. Subconsciously, he wondered whether he could squeeze a few winks into fifteen minutes.

It wasn't but a few moments until Peter found himself thinking about Venom again. He suppressed a groan. He couldn't escape the villain in real life and now he couldn't in his mind, either. The truth was that the great hero was scared of what could happen if this war between them continued at this rate. If he couldn't fit a complete recovery in between their disputes he was sure to falter enough to make his downfall. Peter's eyelids drooped. He was already in his decline and, in their past several brawls, he had cut it closer than he would have liked. In their last battle he had hardly managed to make an escape by losing Venom in a maze of a high school building. (It was lucky that everyone was out for summer break.)

Before he knew it, Peter was falling into a deep, much-needed slumber.

 

He was going to do it. He was going to kill Peter Parker. Spider-Man. His arch-nemesis, both to his human host and his symbiote. Venom had been crouched outside the window of Peter's apartment, sticking to the wall on his fingertips for about an hour now, waiting for his target to arrive. Finally, he was home, unknowingly walking into the jaws of the beast. Said beast listened closely to his prey's movements. After a surprisingly short amount of time he observed the steady sound of breathing that could only mean he was asleep.

The dark mass of muscle squeezed through the window and crept toward the student's bedside. He leaned over the unconscious body. This was perfect. Peter wasn't fighting back nor making snarky comments; he was so perfectly...accepting. Venom would almost have felt ashamed to make such a dirty move--killing someone in their sleep, that is--but, in all honesty, he was so aggravated at this point that it didn't matter anymore. He needed to get rid of him, this nuisance called Spider-Man, once and for all.

His soft human heart twanged deep within him and he winced. Hesitation washed over him. No, he would do this, finish this. He couldn't bear it any longer, the burning that the little spider lit in his chest.

Venom brought a hand close to Peter's neck, claws ready to slit his throat...that pale-skinned throat, so vulnerable without his trademark red and blue suit....his neck, warmly-lit by the faint dusk light filtering through the window...his face, expression so peaceful now that he was free of worry in his dreams...his breath, billowing sweetly and tickling Venom's chest...

Anger shot through Venom like a bullet. He lifted his hand to strike.

"Peter! The cake is ready!"

The symbiote twitched at the voice that echoed down the hall, freezing with his hand still poised in the air. He internally willed her to go away with a silent snarl.

"Peter?"

Footsteps approached.

A growl of annoyance rumbled in his chest and he darted out of the room, ducking through the window and clinging to the side of the building again. He could hear the door opening, telltale tutting, then the door closing. The woman was gone.

Several minutes dragged on as the monster sat there, forehead pressed to the brick of the wall, as he debated whether to just leave. He battled with himself internally, weighing his options. After what felt like a lifetime, he made a decision. He would leave. But he wouldn't leave alone.


	2. Kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad to see that people are enthusiastic about this fanfic so far!! As requested, here is the second chapter! <3 Again, tips and suggestions would be highly appreciated, as this is my first fanfic!

Peter awoke on an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. If that wasn’t alarming enough, he noticed a few seconds later that he was pinned down by his hands and feet with…black webbing.

It hardly took a second for Peter to realize what was going on. Two words came to mind: _Venom. Kidnap._ This was a classic scenario. Thinking fast, he began struggling, straining against the sticky bonds to no avail. He gritted his teeth and pulled, over and over and over. Not a single strand of webbing came loose.

“Ssspider.”

The brunette whipped his head to the side. The unmistakable shape of Venom stood in the doorway, the sight sending a chill up Peter’s spine. The symbiote had an eerie air of calmness to him, contrasting heavily with the apparent rage that he had displayed in the past month. He simply hovered there in unnerving silence, which Peter, for once, failed to break with his usual defiant remarks. The suspense was positively unbearable and he had a creeping feeling that this may be the calm before the storm. He half expected him to jump forward and bite his face off while he had the opportunity.

Eventually Venom took the dreaded step forward, and Peter’s tugging abruptly broke into flailing. To his surprise, Venom halted. A faint rumble rose in the massive beast’s chest. This particular sound was different from all the roars and growls that the creature had emitted during their disputes. It wasn’t an angry sound. It was soft, pained, and faded away gradually, akin to a groan in response to receiving bad news.

“We didn’t want to do thisss, but we cannot resssissst any longer.”

Once more, the relaxed tone of Venom’s voice made Peter wince. His choice of words also confused him. Resist what? Killing him? That wouldn’t make any sense, considering his recent behavior resembled that of a starving wolf pursuing a rabbit. He had clearly been aiming to dispatch Peter, regardless of perspective, so he hadn’t been resisting _that_ urge. So what urge was he talking about? Peter wasn’t aiming to stick around long enough to find out.

“We tried to ssspare you.” Venom began to approach again, each of his steps deliberate. “But now you will see usss for all we are. For all we feel.” He stopped by the bedside, towering above helpless Peter. His hands, the size of dinner plates, rested on the edge of the mattress.

His face pale and glimmering with a sheen of sweat, Peter managed to splutter a response. “Wh-what do you mean?”

“Oh, little Ssspider…” One of his hands hovered over his chest and trailed downward to his stomach, his claws ghosting on the fabric of his shirt. His touch was like that of one stroking a valuable, fragile treasure. “You have no idea of the thingsss we have held back… Ignorant…naïve…Ssspider…” Venom’s tongue slithered out of his mouth and flickered in the air, closer to Peter’s face than he was comfortable with.

The student couldn’t have looked more confused and terrified. Without his mask on it was impossible to hide what he was feeling. He wore all the shock of a deer in the headlights, eyes wide and body frozen. His mouth hung agape, lips moving uselessly in effort to form words that wouldn’t come.

Before he could process what was happening, Venom was on top of him, a hand under his shirt and his head buried into the crook of his neck. He caressed him again, his palm and the pads of his fingers sliding up and down his chest and belly. He was so…gentle. A violent shudder racked Peter’s slender frame.

Finally, he found his voice, albeit in a stunned whisper. “Wait… What are you doing?! S…stop!” He bit back a gasp when one of his nipples was brushed rhythmically. Teasing. Testing the waters.

“Shhh… Lisssten…and do not resssissst,” Venom hissed. His hot breath billowed against the skin of Peter’s neck, accompanied by a pass of his slobbery tongue over his Adam’s apple. “We will claim you, Ssspider, as our own, and after thisss...we will never let you go again.”


	3. We're Just Warming Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting juicyyyyyy!

Peter didn't understand. No, he  _couldn't_ understand. The questions that racked his brain ranged from, 'why me?' to, 'why isn't he just killing me?' He'd never thought he'd ever end up in a place where he'd ask himself such an absurd question as the latter. The young hero simply could not fathom why Venom would desire... _this_  from him, of all things.

"Eddie. Eddie, please, come out. I don't understand, a-are  _you_  the one doing this?" Although Peter and Eddie had been rivals in the battle of Daily Bugle photography, he felt as though he could break through to Eddie and appeal to his better nature significantly more easily than he could the symbiote parasite. Chocolate irises laced with desperation, he struggled to meet the gaze of Venom's emotionless white eyes (which was more difficult than it sounds, because the monster's head was nuzzling into his neck).

Much to Peter's relief, Eddie must have heard him, because Venom lifted his head. Gum-like strands of symbiote peeled away to reveal the human host inside. An eyeful of Eddie's expression caused his spark of hope to fizzle out. The older man's dilated eyes blazed with passion. A light layer of perspiration gave his skin a glow in the dim light and he exhaled in shallow huffs.

"We are both doing this. This is something I couldn't stop even if I wanted to, Peter. We've felt this way for too long, with no outlets, no way of stopping or dulling it." A bitter chuckle escaped the former photographer. "That's why we tried to kill you. We wanted to get rid of these feelings."

"You...you mean you..."

"Yes, Peter, that's the reason we've been after you. We can't take it. We need relief from this, by any means possible, because, whether you understand it or not, it  _hurts_  us. I would feel sorry for you with what we're about to do, but...I can't imagine your inner pain'd amount to even half of ours in the long run--"

"Please, Eddie, please, don't--don't do this to me. I don't...I don't want this..." Peter couldn't have felt more pathetic than he did then, especially with the tears building in his eyes. Even with his sense of pride, he almost didn't care. He'd meant what he said--he didn't want this. He didn't want to...have  _sex_  with Venom. In all honesty, it had nothing to do with the creature's appearance or demeanor--all he cared about was that his first time was with someone he loved. He had always imagined first-time sex as being a romantic experience, a memory that he'd treasure for life. Although he had always considered Eddie an attractive person, he had never loved the guy, especially not after his reunion with the symbiote, and, furthermore, his war with Peter.

He could almost swear he heard pain in Eddie's voice when he replied.

"I already told you, I can't stop it, and I don't want to. We  _want you_ , and nobody else. I've wanted you since we fucking  _met_ , goddammit. You've always been a clueless little shit..." He heaved a sigh. "But let it be known that we aren't heartless. We do genuinely...care for you, as hard as it is to admit. We will be gentle and help you enjoy it. Ah, but...for your own sake..." His voice dipped into a rumble. "...Don't struggle too much. We're already angry enough as it is."

Before Peter could squeeze another word in, Eddie's face sank into the thick shell of the symbiote, head descending back to its place above the smaller male's shoulder. To his surprise, Venom's tongue left him alone for the most part, only venturing a few tiny kitten licks to his jaw. Although that particular appendage kept to itself, Venom's hands didn't. They roamed up and down Peter's torso, squeezing experimentally now and then. It would've soothed Peter, had he not been terrified. In the back of his mind, it occurred to him that Venom's claws hadn't touched his skin once--they hadn't even grazed him. What's more, his tormentor seemed to be easing into this at a steady pace. Eddie had kept his word...so far.

Just as the thought passed through his mind, Venom straightened, his hands shifting downward. He was taking the next step. A bolt of fear clenched Peter's insides and he jumped, wriggling against his bonds again with all the ferocity of a cornered wild animal.

"Shh, shh, preciousss one... Not yet."

Words that Venom had apparently hoped to be soothing gave the opposite effect. Peter trembled violently. 'Precious one?' Who called someone that, ever?! Nobody who wasn't either a total creep or Gollum, that was for sure!

Peter's flailing gradually lessened, but that wasn't due to Venom's words, rather his actions. Like he had assured, he wasn't going straight for the goods, only moving to stroke his legs. Up and down, up and down, strangely...tender. For a creature so driven by impulse, he had a lot of self control, assuming his claims were true.

 

Venom could hardly control himself as he drank in the sight of Peter splayed out before him, chest exposed, breathing heavy, and face flushed. The animal inside of him cried out for him to rip his clothes off and pound into him at full force, but he knew he couldn't do that to him. No, he would be gentle, because he couldn't stand the thought of hurting him more than he already had.

He cupped his calves, continuing to rub. Every now and then he would brush behind his knees, then pet the edges of his thighs. He was running his hands up and down the full length of his thighs now, up and down, palms on the undersides and fingers on the insides. As soon as he reached the area of his legs closest to his groin, Peter stiffened under his touch, but Venom didn't slow. He maintained his relentless, rhythmic massaging without falter.

A shaky sigh reached his ears. He glimpsed upward to find Peter's head lolled to the side, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed in an utterly shameful expression. So...so beautiful... Venom swallowed. Upon further inspection, he noticed a subtle tent in the brunette's pants. He was aware that it was an involuntary reaction to his touch, but...damn his human heart for swelling in his chest with stupid happiness. The fact that he was pleasuring his mate... No. Not mate. Peter was not Venom's mate, was he? He was just...the object of his affections.

He couldn't resist. He hovered a palm over his clothed erection. Peter looked up and Venom met his gaze. He didn't break eye contact as he began to knead, slowly and tantalizingly. What was only a slight erection moments before hardened at a rapid pace when that friction was provided. Peter shuddered. Venom shuddered back.

"Stop... Uhn... S-stop...Venom..."

Although Venom didn't enjoy hearing the helpless tone of Peter's voice, he  _did_ enjoy the breathless way his name left his lips. His fingers twitched and he felt a growl rise in his throat.

 _No_. He would  _not_  hurt his precious one. He  _refused_ to.

But he wouldn't object to quickening the pace a  _little_  bit. He hooked a claw over the button of Peter's jeans.

"Time to ssstart the good ssstuff."


	4. Resolutely Irresolute

Violating hands.

Peter hated those hands, those wandering hands. Deceivingly warm palms. They were so gentle, so very gentle, but they wandered into places that they shouldn't be.

Hands unbuttoning Peter's jeans. Hands pulling Peter's jeans down to his knees. Hands tugging at the edge of Peter's boxers.

Hands stopping.

Hands trembling.

"No...no... Don't cry. We're...we're sssorry..."

Peter hadn't even realized he'd  _been_ crying until Venom began spluttering out apologizes. Now that he thought about it, his vision _was_ a bit bleary, but he had figured that was just his intense fear venting through his vision.

"We're sssorry! We... We...  _Aaargh_...!"

Venom suddenly prowled forward to pin Peter down, his hands flat on either side of the young male. The bed groaned in protest with the abrupt shift of heavy weight. He didn't look very happy.

"Ssstop crying. Ssstop."

Peter lay there in thick silence, frozen. He couldn't have stopped his tears if his life had depended on it. Well...it probably did right now, actually.

He had no idea what he looked like from the other male's perspective. Probably pathetic, but he couldn't care less.

" _Ssstop it!_ " Venom roared, flecks of spittle spraying in Peter's face.

The symbiote was about to chomp down onto him, crush his skull in his jaw. Peter squeezed his leaking eyes shut, but the sensation of giant teeth clamping down on his head never came. Venom was still leaning over him--Peter could hear and feel his slowly-softening, ragged breath on his cheek.

The bed creaked again. A warm weight lowered onto his torso, causing him to yelp. His eyelids flew open and he was surprised to find Venom curled on top of him, hugging peter to his chest. He would have crushed him had he put all his weight down.

"We can't do thisss. We thought we could make you feel good. But we were wrong. You are too scared of usss."

Hard muscle heaved over him, a gloomy sigh escaping the creature and rustling his hair.

"We want you ssso badly, but you are ssso preciousss to usss...you clearly do not underssstand thisss. We...have sssworn to ourssselvesss never to hurt you again. And now we ssswear it to you." A clawed hand cupped Peter's cheek and he flinched. "Do you sssee, Ssspider? Do you sssee how much we care for you?" Venom raised his head to lock eyes with him.

The brunette's voice seemed to have run away. It took him several seconds to recover it.

"No, I don't see it," he spat through gritting teeth. "You tried to  _kill_ me,  _many times._ And now you're trying to  _rape_ me." His inner strength stood resilient, behind the tears in his eyes and the waver in his voice, like a brick wall behind a curtain. "If you really did care about me, why didn't you just  _talk to me?!_ "

The symbiote shrunk away at his words like a dog being scolded. Peter wished the damned thing would just let go of him already.

"You mussst know we aren't good with wordsss, Ssspider, and we knew you wouldn't lisssten if we tried to talk to you, anyway."

"That's--that's not true. I would have listened."

"Ssspider, we can read your thoughtsss when we touch you. You know you wouldn't have lissstened." As though to emphasize on the fact that he could tell what he was thinking, he released his hold on Peter and sat up again, clearly having noticed his desire to be let go of. "The way we feel toward you hurtsss usss, and we grew desssperate for releassse. We told you thisss already. But you do not believe usss. You do not believe a creature like usss could...feel sssuch affection."

Anger flared in Peter's chest. Venom was guilt-tripping him, after having fucking assaulting him! What made him even angrier was the fact that it was almost working on him!

Before he could whip out a witty retort of some kind, Venom was stretching over to release him from his bonds by slicing his webbing with his claws. As soon as Peter was free, he jumped backward and onto the wall behind him. Unfortunately, he left his jeans behind. A pink hue rose in his cheeks when he realized he was sticking to the wall, ass in the air, in his boxers.

Apparently, Venom was feeling extra merciful, because he reached out to offer him the garment. Peter snatched his jeans out of his hand aggressively and pointedly ignored Venom's fake flinch. He hopped to the floor and tugged his pants on.

Once he was fully clothed he darted out of the room. The next area was just as cramped as the last, with walls of cold concrete and floors of old paneling. It boasted a splintered shelf upon which sat a few canned foods and a lone picture frame, a pile of tattered pillows and blankets, a rust-stained bucket in a corner, and most cheerful of all, a door. Upon inspection, however, Peter's little flicker of hope shattered. The door was boarded up with plank upon wooden plank. Unlike everything else in this run-down container, it was clearly new. As if that wasn't enough, black webbing roped across the frame like silky chains.

Needless to say, Peter did try to breach it. He kicked it, punched it, pried at it, swung from the ceiling like a wrecking ball into it, and straight up ran into it. By the time he had given up, he was sore everywhere, from his shoulders to his toes.

He stormed back into the bedroom, where he found Venom still sitting on the mattress.

"Let me out. Let me out  _now._ "

"We can't do that. We will keep you here until you underssstand how we feel. Thisss isss the only option we have left."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry guyysss! Hope you weren't too excited for some nookie! I promise it's coming. <3 (Pun not intended.)


	5. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's baaaack! Yep, it's me, ya boi, bringing you your dose of SpideyVenom, because I finally have the time and motivation for it! I hope you guys like it!

Venom's words bounced back and forth in Peter's skull.

'We will keep you here until you underssstand how we feel. Thisss isss the only option we have left.'

This...was a first. Never before had an enemy of Peter's trapped him with the intention of keeping him contained until he... _understood_ something (unless, of course, he counted his years of high school). Usually kidnapping was used as a negotiation tactic or was simply out of spite, but _this_... Peter didn't know what to make of it.

"What does that even _mean_?" Peter asked through his teeth. His shock turned his voice soft.

"You ssstay here with usss until you underssstand usss and how we feel about you." Venom's reply came easily, as though the answer to Peter's question was obvious. His blank eyes stared at his prisoner from across the room

"Oookay. I understand you and how you feel about me. Will you let me go now?" Peter huffed.

The brunette immediately regretted his words. Upon hearing Peter's claim, the symbiote stood up and approached him, backing him against the wall. Peter flattened himself against the cold concrete, his breath quickening. He prepared himself to hear a beastly roar of anger at best and feel his skull being smashed in at worst. But Venom merely touched a finger to Peter's chest.

"No. You don't underssstand yet." The dark creature spoke with confidence. "Have you already forgotten that I can read your thoughtsss when I touch you? You ssstill think I am a monssster. If you underssstood, then you wouldn't sssee me that way." Venom retracted his touch and retreated back a few steps.

Peter allowed himself a few moments to turn the situation over in his brain as he unstuck himself from the wall. His eyes darted back and forth while his mind did backflips in order to process the unbelievable information he'd just been given.

_So...Venom is going to keep me here until I genuinely think he's...okay? Or until I get why he tried to kill me and then have sex with me without my consent? Or sympathize with him? Yeah, like that's gonna happen. I mean, come on... Wait..._

He felt dizzy. He placed a hand against the wall for support.

_Is there some sort of time limit to him keeping me here? He...wouldn't trap me here for days...or months... Even he isn't that cruel...right?_

But this was Venom, one of his greatest enemies and a being he legitimately feared. A few hours earlier, the symbiote wouldn't have hesitated in slitting his throat, given the chance. There was no underestimating what Venom could do.

_No... Why should he care how I feel about it? He's doing this to make a point, and he has nothing to lose from staying here. And letting me go could be a threat to him, too. He'll..._

Peter's head was a weight on his shoulders and his legs felt like jello.

_He will do anything and wait as long as he needs to until he gets what he wants. And there's no way out of here until I give it to him. But...I can't do it...so that means..._

"Ssspider..." Venom's eyes narrowed and he reached out slightly.

_He means it. He's actually going to trap me here forever, in this room._

"Ssspider!"

Peter's vision went dark and he fell forward.


	6. Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy belated Easter/April Fools' Day! Don't worry, this isn't a prank chapter.  
> I have a question for you guys! So far, do you think the story is progressing too fast, too slow, or just right? I want Peter's feelings to develop at just the right pace, so input from you guys is highly appreciated! Thanks!

Venom could get used to holding Peter in his arms like this.

He had noticed how woozy Peter had looked, and had dived to catch him when he tipped over. In all honesty, he knew that the Spider had endured much, much worse than fainting before, and the fall wouldn't have hurt him, but...Venom had acted on instinct. It was almost funny, how the symbiote had gone so quickly from wanting to hurt him to wanting to protect him from injury.

It had been a while since Peter had fallen unconscious. A long while. Venom estimated that it had been at least several hours that he'd sat there, curled around the college student on the floor and leaning against the wall. He hadn't moved from that spot for fear of waking him.

_We are only sitting with him like this because he would catch sick from the cold otherwise,_ said the combined thoughts of Eddie and his symbiote. Even now, after having admitted his true feelings for Peter Parker, Venom's first instinct was to deny his soft spot for him.

_No,_ he corrected himself a few moments later, _that isn't it. We are...sitting with him like this because we want to be close to him. That is the real reason._

It just felt...so _good_. Venom couldn't count how many times he'd wanted to cradle the Spider in his arms before. Admittedly, he'd probably wanted to crush that same Spider to death an equal amount of times, but...he simply couldn't fathom doing something like that now, while gazing at the treasure in his lap. The Spider was so strong, yet so fragile. He'd recently fainted, after all, likely from a mixture of shock and fatigue from their recent battles. Poor little Spider.

_We are sorry, Spider..._ The thumb of the hand that Venom had been using to hold up Peter's head stroked his cheek tenderly. So soft. _We hate what we have done to you. We are stupid and violent. We don't know what to do with ourselves. We have so much desire and so much affection, but we don't know how to show you. How can we help you understand? Please let us help you._

As though the Spider had heard his silent plea, his eyelids blinked open. Those big, brown eyes. It was the first time that Venom had gotten the chance to really look at them up close. Something deep in his chest fluttered.

However, that window of opportunity didn't last long, because, as soon as the Spider seemed to realize that he was in Venom's arms, he leapt away and stumbled backward across the room. Venom stood up. He wasn't hurt by this reaction--not really, anyway, since he fully expected it.

What he didn't expect was what came next.

" _Fucking shit!_ Get away from me!" cried the New York hero, his fingers balling into fists. He took two more steps backward. His face went from pale to red.

Venom couldn't recall ever before hearing him swear like that. Not only that, he couldn't remember ever seeing the sassy, cheerful webslinger truly angry, either. The dark giant shrunk away slightly like a kicked puppy, stunned by his uncharacteristic outburst.

"Ssspider, we meant no har--"

"Like _hell_ you meant no harm! I wouldn't be surprised if you violated me in my _sleep_. Just--just stop touching me already, _I hate it_!" The Spider, with an expression screwed up with fury, stomped into the other room of the tiny accommodation and out of Venom's sight.

A few minutes passed in complete silence. Both Venom and Peter stood full of tension across from one another. Once he had taken the time to recover from surprise, Venom made his way to the doorway between the two rooms.

"Ssspi--"

" _Leave me alone!_ "

Venom flinched and stepped away quietly. With a heaving sigh, the symbiote returned to the spot where he had sat with the Spider in his arms, and sat down on the floor once more.

All was agonizingly quiet again, and it remained that way all throughout the day and night.


End file.
